Shoe-cleaner.



No. 703,052. Patented .lune 24, |902.

' D. J. FULEY.

SHOE CLEANER.

(Application led May 16, 1901.) (No Model.) A

mines$- l nc/ 311501@ UNITED STATES PATENT Crrrcn.

DANIEL J. FOLEY, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE-CLEAN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,052, dated [I une 24, 1902.

Application filed May 16, 1901.

fr) all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, DANIEL J. FOLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at No. Lexington street, in the city of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shoe-Cleaners, of which the following is a specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure l is a plan view of my new shoecleaner, one of the brushes being shown in sectional view and a part of the top being broken away to show the parts underneath.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line'A A, Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing my new shoe-cleaner in use, and Fig. 4 illustrates a modification hereinafter described.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for cleaning footwear; and the object of my invention is to provide a device by means of which dust, dirt, or mud may be quickly and thoroughly removed from footwear.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of my invention and the best mode in which' I have contemplated applying that principle, a is the base, within which are the arms h, of spring metal. The ends c of the arms h are bent first upwardly and then inwardly toward each other and form shafts upon which the brushes CZ are rotatably mounted. A scraper e is secured about midway of the base a, the height of the top edge of the scraper above the top of the base being sufticient to permit the scraper to reach the instep'that is, the portion of the sole just in front of the heel. The iiat springs f press against the arms l) near their mid-points and serve to press the brushes together. The rear portion g of the top base serves as a support or platform for the person using my new cleaner, and the weight of the person serves to hold the cleaner in place. In front ot' the scraper e the base is cut away to form a dust-receptacle h, within which vmove the arms l). The scraper e is secured to the front edge of g and to the rear of the brushes, thus serving both as a means for removing the dirt from the sole and instep and supporting the foot during its reciproeating motion to clean the upper ol the shoe. The arms brest upon the base and are guided thercby,as well as bythe walls formed by the Serial No. 60,593. (No model.)

opening in the base, within which opening the arms b are secured. These arms h are preferably formed from an integral length of any suitable material.

In Fig. et a sleeve iis secured to each brush d and slides -on the hollow shaft j. The spiral springs 7c, inclosed in said sleeves and shafts, force the brushes together, as will be readily understood from the drawings.

The operation of my new cleaner is as follows: The footis placed heel first between the brushes d, the sole of the shoe resting upon the scraper e. The back-and-forth movement ofthe foot results in the removal by the scraper e of all dirt from the bottom of the shoe and in the removal of all dirt from the top and sides of the shoe by the brushes d. Since the brushes are rotatably mounted and also yieldingly mounted, they rotate and separatewhen the foot is moved between them, and thus enable every portion of the l shoe to be brought into contact with the brushes. Beingspring-controlled,the brushes press with sufficient force to bring the bristles into close contact with the leather and therebyto remove all dirt. The rounded surface of the brush permits it to enter the instep portiou'of the shoe and to remove all dirt thoroughly therefrom.

The cleaner is held in place during use by the weight of the person using and standing vupon it. By simply inverting the cleaner the dirt may be removed from the receptacle h.

Since the brushes are readily removed, new

brushes may be substituted whenever those` in use are worn sufficiently to necessitate the change. vAgain, brushes of one degree of coarseness may be substituted for those of a different degree of coarseness to meet the requiremen ts of the service to which the cleaner is put. Thus in rural districts where heavy boots coated with thick mud have to be cleaned a coarse heavy grade of brush may be substituted for the iine grade of brush, which is suitable for removing from footwear of iine quality the dust of the city street. Thehemispherical shape of the cooperating brushes, in combination with the horizontal spring-shafts upon which they are mounted and which causes them to rotate in vertical planes, enables the operator to clean thoroughly the top and sides of his shoes.

IOO.

I. A shoe-cleaner comprising a base the forward portion of whichis cut away to form a dirt-receptacle, a scraper secured to the base-board at the rear termination of said cutaway portion and extending slightly above the base-board, said base-board having an interior opening, a pair of spring-pressed arms secured in said opening having their free ends extendinginto said dirt-receptacle, and a brush carried by each of said arms, said brushes being adapted to engage the Shoeuppers and being located to the front and above said scraper,substantially as described.

-2. A shoe-cleaner comprising a base the forward portion of which is cut away to form a dirt-receptacle, a scraper secured to the edge of the base-board at the real' termination vOl.

DANIEL J. FOLEY.`

Vitnesses :A

JosIAH DEARBORN, JAMES HAMILTON. 

